Maine Democratic primary for Golden’s seat heads to ranked-choice voting

Ranked-choice voting again left Maine’s 2nd Congressional District without a finished Democratic nominee, as no candidate cleared 50 percent in the race to replace Jared Golden. The delay matters well beyond Maine: the seat covers the state’s largest congressional district by area, one of the largest east of the Mississippi River, and sits in a House battleground that could help decide control of the chamber.

Under Maine’s system, ballots move through additional tabulation until one candidate earns a majority, with lower finishers eliminated and their voters’ next choices redistributed. Early returns on June 9 showed Bangor state Sen. Joe Baldacci in front, but Matt Dunlap, Jordan Wood and Paige Loud remained in the field and the race moved to another round of counting because no one won outright. The Maine Secretary of State oversees the tabulation and the official results, extending the wait for Democrats who now have to watch how second-choice preferences break.

The contest took on added weight after Golden said in November 2025 that he would not seek reelection in 2026. He cited partisan gridlock and recent political violence, along with threats toward his family, in deciding to step aside. The announcement surprised many Democrats in Washington, where several lawmakers had expected him to run again despite the primary challenge.

Golden’s exit reopened a district that has been one of the hardest fights in the country for both parties. Maine’s 2nd District backed Donald Trump in all three of his presidential runs, yet Golden still won the 2024 general election after ranked-choice tabulation, defeating Republican Austin Theriault 50.35 percent to 49.65 percent, or 197,151 votes to 194,445, after several days of counting. That history makes the Democratic primary more than a local nomination fight; it is an early test of which kind of candidate can hold a seat that has repeatedly defied national partisan trends.

The 2026 primary was the 11th time ranked-choice voting was used in a statewide Maine election, underscoring how central the system has become to the state’s federal and statewide contests. In a district where narrow margins have already decided the last general election, the eventual Democratic nominee may be shaped less by first-place support than by where the ballots from the eliminated candidates land next.